Paul Ryan has confirmed the Republicans' not-so-secret plan in a radio interview. After they finish blowing a trillion-dollar hole in the budget with their tax cuts aimed at the rich, they'll suddenly discover the importance of reducing the deficit. So they'll cut Medicare, Medicaid, and anti-poverty programs. --Bob

_________________"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." Thomas Jefferson

Paul Ryan has confirmed the Republicans' not-so-secret plan in a radio interview. After they finish blowing a trillion-dollar hole in the budget with their tax cuts aimed at the rich, they'll suddenly discover the importance of reducing the deficit. So they'll cut Medicare, Medicaid, and anti-poverty programs. --Bob

"anti-poverty programs". We don't have any but public schools and the military. Other than that they are "poverty preservation" programs.

_________________In the end, they will all pretty much taste the same.

LBJ declared a war on poverty back in the 60's. How has that worked out after we've wasted trillions of dollars? Continuing to do something and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Maybe we should try something different.

And once again. bob, your previous references to Krugman and the debt disqualifies you from having any concern about the national debt. You are just using that false concern now as a political pointy stick, you hypocrite.

And let me remind you, when Congress was controlled by democrats, they didn't even bother having a budget.

LBJ declared a war on poverty back in the 60's. How has that worked out after we've wasted trillions of dollars? Continuing to do something and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Maybe we should try something different.

And once again. bob, your previous references to Krugman and the debt disqualifies you from having any concern about the national debt. You are just using that false concern now as a political pointy stick, you hypocrite.

And let me remind you, when Congress was controlled by democrats, they didn't even bother having a budget.

Got it. You think a trillion dollars in tax cuts for the rich, funded by increasing middle-class taxes, is a better idea than continuing to fund Medicare, Medicaid, and anti-poverty programs. I'm gonna guess that most of the American public disagrees. I'm pretty sure we'll find out in 2018. Also still waiting, by the way, for Republicans to reauthorize CHIP.

It's quite clear that Congressional Republicans are utter hypocrites regarding the deficit. They don't give a damn about it when it gets in the way of cutting their donors' taxes. But they suddenly see religion when it comes to Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs that have been of enormous benefit to American society since the days of the Great Society. The ads pretty much write themselves. And if at all possible, I'll be out there knocking on doors in 2018 to drum up support to put some local Congressional Republicans on the unemployment rolls.

As for your attack on Krugman's view of economics -- his predictions have been right. Notwithstanding the deficit scolds, inflation has remained quiescent. That's the test of any theory -- whether its predictions prove accurate. His have. --Bob

_________________"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." Thomas Jefferson

LBJ declared a war on poverty back in the 60's. How has that worked out after we've wasted trillions of dollars? Continuing to do something and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Maybe we should try something different.

And once again. bob, your previous references to Krugman and the debt disqualifies you from having any concern about the national debt. You are just using that false concern now as a political pointy stick, you hypocrite.

And let me remind you, when Congress was controlled by democrats, they didn't even bother having a budget.

Got it. You think a trillion dollars in tax cuts for the rich, funded by increasing middle-class taxes, is a better idea than continuing to fund Medicare, Medicaid, and anti-poverty programs. I'm gonna guess that most of the American public disagrees. I'm pretty sure we'll find out in 2018. Also still waiting, by the way, for Republicans to reauthorize CHIP.

It's quite clear that Congressional Republicans are utter hypocrites regarding the deficit. They don't give a damn about it when it gets in the way of cutting their donors' taxes. But they suddenly see religion when it comes to Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs that have been of enormous benefit to American society since the days of the Great Society. The ads pretty much write themselves. And if at all possible, I'll be out there knocking on doors in 2018 to drum up support to put some local Congressional Republicans on the unemployment rolls.

As for your attack on Krugman's view of economics -- his predictions have been right. Notwithstanding the deficit scolds, inflation has remained quiescent. That's the test of any theory -- whether its predictions prove accurate. His have. --Bob

Tax cuts for the rich. Can't you guys at least find another phrase to use? It's so old. I agree that most republicans are hypocrites regarding the debt. So are all the democrats. You conveniently haven't mentioned the massive fraud in these programs. Is that OK with you?

So why is ok to run up God awful debt while Obama was President, but not now? Where do we need to start to worry? 21 trillion? 25, 30?

LBJ declared a war on poverty back in the 60's. How has that worked out after we've wasted trillions of dollars? Continuing to do something and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Maybe we should try something different.

And once again. bob, your previous references to Krugman and the debt disqualifies you from having any concern about the national debt. You are just using that false concern now as a political pointy stick, you hypocrite.

And let me remind you, when Congress was controlled by democrats, they didn't even bother having a budget.

Got it. You think a trillion dollars in tax cuts for the rich, funded by increasing middle-class taxes, is a better idea than continuing to fund Medicare, Medicaid, and anti-poverty programs. I'm gonna guess that most of the American public disagrees. I'm pretty sure we'll find out in 2018. Also still waiting, by the way, for Republicans to reauthorize CHIP.

It's quite clear that Congressional Republicans are utter hypocrites regarding the deficit. They don't give a damn about it when it gets in the way of cutting their donors' taxes. But they suddenly see religion when it comes to Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs that have been of enormous benefit to American society since the days of the Great Society. The ads pretty much write themselves. And if at all possible, I'll be out there knocking on doors in 2018 to drum up support to put some local Congressional Republicans on the unemployment rolls.

As for your attack on Krugman's view of economics -- his predictions have been right. Notwithstanding the deficit scolds, inflation has remained quiescent. That's the test of any theory -- whether its predictions prove accurate. His have. --Bob

Tax cuts for the rich. Can't you guys at least find another phrase to use? It's so old. I agree that most republicans are hypocrites regarding the debt. So are all the democrats. You conveniently haven't mentioned the massive fraud in these programs. Is that OK with you?

So why is ok to run up God awful debt while Obama was President, but not now? Where do we need to start to worry? 21 trillion? 25, 30?

Because then we were in a demand-side depression, where the problem was not enough people spending money. When that's the case, massive debt is what the economy needs, as proved by the fact that the massive debt resulted in neither massive inflation nor a significant increase in interest rates. It's no longer the case that we're in a demand-side depression.

We need to worry when the size of the deficit substantially drives up interest rates or when interest payments on the debt consumes too large a fraction of the federal budget. Neither of those things are close to happening. But if the Republican tax plan passes, it will.

As for the massive fraud, it's just not there. It's a convenient Republican talking point that, like almost everything else they've said about the economy, is a flat-out lie. I'm not saying there's no fraud, of course, but the amount of fraud compared to the size of the programs simply isn't very big.

And we're talking about tax cuts for the rich because the Republicans are on the verge of enacting massive tax cuts for the rich, funded by tax increases on the middle class. --Bob

_________________"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." Thomas Jefferson